Can opener



July 26,1927. 1,636,735

A. W. PETERSON CAN OPENER Filed Feb. 9. 1926 31a/vento@ 4x5/ W. PETERS 0N .Patented July 26, 1927.

UNITED` STATES PATENT oFFlcE.

AXEL W. PETERSON, OI' SAN FRANUISCO, GALIFORNIA, AS-SIG'NOR TO WESTERN' TOOL AND WRENCH COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF CALIFORNIA. v

can enzima.

Application llled February 9, 1986. Serial No. 87,187.

The general object of the invention is to provide a can opener vthat may be used with safety in cutting the metallic endwall of a can and without liability :from the cut edge e of the end wall inflicting injury to the hand of the operator.

Another object is to provide a can opener that may -be operated tocut the end wall 'of v a can wlth a minimum of e'ort on the part of the loperator and to eiect thefcuttlng expeditiously and neatly.

The above and other objects are accomplished by instrumentalities pointed out 1n the following specification. l

The invention is clearly defined 1n the claims.

A satisfactorT embodiment of the mvention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings forming part of the specification and in which D Figure 1 is a perspectlve of the invention in use.

Figure 2 is a detail fplan view of the connected end portions o theoperating levers showing the cutter and means for advancin the cutter throu h the end wall of a can, a iragment of whic is also shown.

Figure 3 is a detail cross-section on the line 3-3 of Figure 2, looking in the direction of the arrows. t v

Figure 4 is a view simil taken on the line 4-4 of Figure 2, and look'- in in the direction of the arrows, and

Fi re 5 is a detail perspectiveof the cutting lade.

The device of the present invention is usable in connection with cans of variousA shapes. For purposes of illustration, I have shown a round can 5 of ordinary conm struction and the device of the present invention used in connection therewith. The top end wall 6 of can 5 is operated upon by forcing therethrough the pointed blade 7 of the present invention. As will be noted b y referring to Figures 3 and 5, the blade 7 1s adapted to readily penetrate the metal of end wall 6 under relatively light pressure.

It will be noted by reference to Figure 2 that the blade 7 is inserted adjacent to the peripheral portion of to end wall 6, and one of the side cutting e ges 8 of the blade is provided witha reentrant cuttin edge in the form of a notch 9 which is at t e upper ar to Figure 3,'but

end portion of the blade 7 when in use and arranged so as to operate directly upon the metal of end wall 6. v

The provision of the ortion 9 aids in reventlng vertical disp acement of the lade 7 when in use. Blade 7 is advanced through the metal of the end wall 6 by a substantially circular extension 10, 4the periphery ofwhich is notched so as to provide a series of teeth 11 which are adapted to successively bite into the upper end portion of the side wall of the can when the extension 10 is turned in one direction.

The upper edge portion of the side wall ofthe can 5 is held rigidly between the extension 10 and blade 11 by lateral pressure applied thereto in opposed directions by a air of manually operable levers 12 and 13.

ne end portion of lever 12 is rigidly Secured to extension 10 in any preferred manner.

In .the form illustrated, extension 10 is provided with a radial recess for the reception of the -inner end portion of lever 12 so that when the lever is turned in either direction movement is imparted to extension 10. The lever 13 may correspond in construction to lever 12, and blade 7 has an offset end portion 14 which is rigidly secured to the inner end portion of lever 13 in any suitable manner as by a clamp 'screw 15. The inner end portions of the levers 12 and 13 are connected by'a link 16 which is pivotally lconnected to the inner portion of lever 13 beyond blade 7 and to the central portion of extension 10. The link is so proportioned in length that the extension 10 and middle portion of the blade 7 are substantially opposite one another, andthe end portion of thelink connected to the lever 18 is 'oiset upwardly as 'shown in the drawings and indicated by 17, so that the extension 10 and lever 12 are slightly below the horizontal plane of lever 13 when the, device is in use, as shown in Figures 1, 2 and 4 of the drawings. l v

,The provision of the link connection serves to enable the device to be adjusted to can walls of various thicknesses and without materially changing the relative positions of the extension 10 and blade when the device is in use. The levers 12 and 13 maybe provided with suitable handle portions 18 and l 19 to provide convenient hand holds for the operator.

In using the device, blade 7 is forced into the upper end wall of the can and lever 18 moved so as to eiit'ect Contact between the teeth 11 of extension 10 and the upper edge portion of the side wall of the can. Hand pressure tending to move the levers relative and toward each other is then applied by grasping the handhelds 18 and 19, whereupon extension 10 turns uponthe adlacent ortion of the side wall of the can which 1s graced against `bending by the outward pressure applied thereto from blade 47 T hls action causes the cuttin edge of the portion 9 of the blade to cut t e metal of the top wall 6 until the handholds 18 and 19 are relatively close together, whereu on lever 12 is turned outwardly and away rom lever 13 and then turned the o posite direction toward lever 13. This osci lating movement on the part of the lever 12 causes the blade 8 to cut the end wall 6 during the movement of lever 12 toward lever 13. .y

From the foregoing it is to be observed that the device of the present invention is comparatively simple in construction and inex ensive to manufacture, The provision ofever 12 provides ample leverage for causing the cutting of the end wall by the blade with little eiort. It is to be noted that with the use of the present device, the operator is.

not required to use, either hand inholding the can, in fact, the canis caused to turn in a direction op osite from the direction of movement of t e blade and the cutting of the top wall when the levers 12 and 13 are moved relatively and toward each other.

Although I have shown and described one embodiment of my invention, it is to be understood that the vsame is susceptible of various changes; and I reserve the right to use such as may come within the scope of the a pended claims.

I c aim:

1. A can. opener comprising a cutting blade adapted to'penetrate the end wall of a can adjacent the periphe thereof and means-for operating said b ade to cut the end wall on a 1continuous line extending around the end wall from one end of a perforation made therein by-the blade to the other end of the perforation, said means comprising a pair of relatively `movable manually operable levers, a link conn'ectin said levers together at one end, one of sai levers being rigidly secured to the blade and the other having its connected end 'portion provided with a curved extension having a roughened surface adapted to bear upon the upper end portion of the side wall of the.

can at right angles to the blade and cooperate with the blade to grip said side wall therebetween when the said levers are moved relatively toward each other whereby the curved extension is caused to turn upon the side wall and advance the blade throughthe end wall. Y

2. A can opener comprising a cutting blade adapted to penetrate the end wall of a can adjacent the peripher thereof and means for operating said b ade to cut the end wall along a continuous line extending. ,around the end wall from one end of a perforation made therein by the blade to the other .end of the perforation, said means comprising a air of relatively movable manually o era le levers, and a link connecting sai levers together at one end, one of said levers being ri 'dly secured to the blade and the other having its connected end portion provided with an extension having a roughened surface adapted to bear upon the upper end portion of the side wall of the can at right angles to the blade and disposed so as to cooperate with the blade to rip the the other end of the perforation, said means vcomprising a pair of relatively movable manually operable levers, a link pivotally connecting the levers together at one end and having an offset end portion for disposing said levers to extend in parallel planes one above the other, one of said levers being rigidly connected tothe blade and disposed at right angles thereto and the other aving its connected end portion provided with an extension, having a roughened surface adapted to bear upon the upper portion of the side wall of the can at right angles to the blade and cooperate with the blade to grip the said side wall therebetween f when the said levers are moved relatively toward each other, whereby the said extension causes the can to move in one direction and the `blade to move in an opposite direction through the end wall of the can. y

4. In a can opener, a pair of levers, a link connecting said levers together at one kend and permitting the levers to be. oscillated one relatively to the other, a blade rigidly secured to one of said levers and extending at right angles thereto and having one of its cutting edges provided with a notch forming an inward extension of the cutting edge of the blade the other of said levers having an extension at its con 1,ese,vss

'relatively to the other, a blade rigidly se# cured directlyto one of said levers and extending at right angles thereto and having one of its cutting edges provided with a notch forming an inward extension of the 6. A can opener adapted for cutting the peripheral portions of an end Wall of a .can and comprising a pair of levers, one

of said levers having direotl connected thereto a blade provided Wit a cutting edge disposed .at right angles to the lever, an element carried by the other of said levers and having a rounded roughened edge disposed at right angles to the cutting edge of the blade, a connection between the levers adapted for permitting the roughened edge of the Said element to turn in one direction and thereby turn a can and feed the peripheral portion of an end wall thereof to the blade when the blade is caused to penetrate the end wall of the can and the levers moved relatively toward each other.

AXEL W. PETERSON. 

